Railroad-switch



No. 606,730. PatentedfluI-y 5, |898.

W. MGCAFFEHY.v vRAILROADr SWITCH.

(Application led` J 1 11y 12, 1897.)

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h f UITEDSTATESPATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MCCAFFERY,OF TYLER, WASHINGTON, AssICNOR or oNEHALF To JOHN CAssADY, on CHENEY, WASHINGTON.

SPECIFICATION formigpart of Letters ratent No. 606,730, dated rely 5, 1897s. Application tied .my 12, 1897. 'serial No. 644,266. on model.;

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM MCCAFFERY, of Tyler, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented certain newA and useful Improvements in Railroad-Switches; and I'doliereby declare the following to be a full, clear, vandekfact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a railroad-switch, and more especially to the filling interposed between the-fixed rail and the movable rail 0r Switchftengils- Y It will-bereadilypunderstood that as the switclI-tongufe` has @to b e moved toward and' away'froin'the rigged rail nokstationary filling can be used between Asaid parts, and't' this" fact are due many serious and even fatal accidents that havegccurred owing to partiesswitchmen and others-getting the foot accidentally caught between the rail and said switch-tongue justin advance of an approaching train or engine,

The object ofthe present invention is tol provide a filling which will yield to permit the switch-tongue to move either toward or away from the fixed rail, vas'required, and which will uphold the foot'of the person stepping thereon and preventyit from becomingwedged between the rails andthe tongue. y

It will be understood from the following description and claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a planview of a section of rail and the switch-tongue with the improvement applied. Fig. 2 represents a bottom view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a horizontal section taken immediately below the rail-heads, showing the filling in plan view. Fig. 4 represen ts a transverse section showing the split or slotted bolt adj acent to the free end of the switchtonguein side elevation. Fig. 5` shows a similar view of the bolt at the pivotedend of the tongue, andFig. 6 shows an intermediate bolt or'pin and its-spring with the ller-rodsin section.-

1 indicates'the fixedrail of arailway-track,

and 2xtheswitch-tongue, which is pivotally supported at its heel end, as indicated at 3,

by a strap 4:, connecting it with the ixed rail 1.,- The tongue, however, may be pivoted at its heel end in any suitable manner.

5Y indicates a slotted strap Connectedwith the base of the rail l and connected at its slotted end,by a headed-pin or screw 6, with the .switch-tongue 2. The strap 5 is arrangedintermediate the ends of said switch-tongue and serves to limit the outward movement of the tongue-point away from the Iixed rail 1.

7 7 7 indicate parallel rods arranged intermediateV the rail 1 and the switch-tongue or movable rail 2 and extending from a point at or near the point of the switch-tongue to a 'point at or near the heelend of said tongue, 'where' they-vv are y.provided A with Aleyes'looped secured inthe rail 1 land passing throughan eye or perforation in the switch-tongue 2, immediately underneath the heads of the rails.

the ends of the rods 7 and to hold them at uniform distances apart on the bolt 8. The free endsvof the rods, near the point on the switchtongue, pass through a split or slotted bolt 10, Vsecured in the rail 1 and passing through a perforation in the swtch-tongue2, adapting'the 4 latter to move laterally thereon, the split bolt aording a support for the free ends of the rods .7 and permitting them to be brought together asV the switch-tongue is moved into contact `with the Xed rail 1 for switching purposes.

porting the heel ends of the rods 7, are arranged a series of transverse bolts 11, secured, like the bolts 8 and 10, in the rail 1 and passing through perforations in the switch-tongue for permitting the lateral movement of said tongue upon them. The rods 7 rest upon the bolts 11 and pass through eyes or loops 13, formed in spiral spriu gs 12, wrapping the bolts 11, and which, by the compression of the springs, permit relative lateral movement of the rods 7, while at the same time they serve to space said rods and hold them at uniform distances' apart when the switch isv open. These rods are placed, as stated, immediately underneath the plane of the rail-head and are suficient in number and in strength to form The pin or bolt 8 is wrapped by a spiral spring. 9, which serves to engage the eyes or loops in `Intermediate the split bolt and the bolt 8, supv around a transversely-arranged pindor boltvS,

IOO

a support for the foot of the person stepping thereon, thereby preventing the foot from passing below the head of the rail and rendering it practically impossible for the foot to become wedged in between the fixed rail and the movable rail or switch-tongue. By supporting the free ends of the rods 7 in the manner described the switch-tongue is adapted to be moved into contact with the fixed rail, its movement serving to compress said ends of the rods and bring them together under the head of the rail in a manner that will be readily understood.

As stated, the rods 7 will be made sufiicient in strength and in number to form a firm support for the weight of a person stepping thereon and will efeetually prevent the foot from passing so low as to become wedged between the fixed and movable parts of the rail. As stated, the lnanner of pivoting the tongue and also the arrangement of the stop for limiting thel outward movement of the tongue may be varied, as also the means for supporting and permitting the compression of the yielding or elastic footsupport may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A yielding or elastic filling composed of parallel rods interposed between the fixed rail and the movable rail or switch-tongue, in combination with supports for said rod connected with the rails, and yielding loops or eyes on said support for said rods, substantially as described.

2. In a filling interposed between the fixed rail and the movable rail or switch-tongue, the yielding rods forming said filling, in combination with the supporting transverse rods connected with the rail and tongue, spacingloops on said rods, and a spring permitting said loops and the yielding rod passing through them to yield and move, one toward or away from the other, substantially as described.

3. The filler-rods interposed between the fixed portion of a railway-rail and the switchtongue looped, at their shank ends to a transverse rod or bolt and extending thence to- Ward the movable end of the switch-tongue, theirguiding-supports permitting their yielding movement, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM MCCAFFERY. lVitnesses:

J. E. MARsToN, C. II. CHAMBERS. 

